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Democrats are spending money in other areas, such as buiding field programs and paying consultants. But even so, they have continued to build multimillion-dollar war chests, and largely resisted responding to the GOP TV attacks. But given that most of the Democrats running in tough races are incumbents, they also have built-in fundraising networks in the Washington donor community to help fill their campaign coffers through Election Day.

Take Kay Hagan for example. About $12 million worth of ads have already flooded the airwaves, with millions from the Americans for Prosperity. Democratic-leaning groups have come to her defense with about $5.5 million in ads. But despite sitting on cash of more than $8 million, and narrowly trailing or in a dead heat with virtually all over her prospective GOP challengers, she has yet to spend money on TV.

Hagan wouldn’t comment on the disparity, instead calling on her opponents to back legislation forcing outside groups to disclose their donors. As far as her campaign, Hagan said: “You’ll have to follow us on the campaign trail.”

In Michigan, nearly $5 million has been spent by Republicans, helping Terri Lynn Land, the former secretary of state, who is running against Democratic Rep. Gary Peters. Peters decided to recently put up personal bio spots worth just under $600,000 to try to counter the negative attacks, but that amount is expected to grow to $1 million. Land has yet to go on the air.

Peters said he was heartened that polls continue to show him neck-and-neck in the race, even after he’s sustained the attacks over his support for the health care law.

“I’m of the belief you first have to introduce yourself before you get into the contrast,” Peters said. “And there are very clear contrasts between where I am and where she is and that will be a big part of the campaign as we get closer to election time.”

As conservative groups have spent more than $4 million in ads in her state, many of which are lashing her for her backing of Obamacare, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La) has responded with nearly $400,000 of her own cash on the air as well on an ad promoting a bill aimed at modifying the controversial law.

“I am not unconcerned about the negative ads being run against me,” said Landrieu, who banked $7.5 million, edging one of her main GOP rivals, Rep. Bill Cassidy, who has roughly $5 million in the bank. “But I also think people in Louisiana have discounted them in some measure.”

There is at least one state where Democrats have so far matched Republicans: Alaska. There, Sen. Mark Begich has spent nearly $400,000 in ads, far more than his GOP counterparts, while Democratic outside groups have spent roughly $2 million compared to conservative groups that have dumped in about $2.5 million.

“What we were more worried about is my story about the work I’ve done here would not get out,” Begich said. “Because they would just run negative ads, which of course is what they’re doing. … So I said we’re going to tell my story, we’re going to humanize this, and we’re going to talk about it as from an Alaskan perspective, what Alaskans care about.”

For the NRSC, the outside money comes at a welcome time, giving them more flexibility to decide where to engage on the air.

“We’re going to wait and see what places need our help,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), lead fundraiser for the NRSC.